Torque exerting means for gyroscopes



947. R. s. CURRY, JR, ET AL 2,415,313

TORQUE EXERTING MEANS FORGYROSCOPES Filed July 21, 1942 Q 2 1 7 IO E INVENTOR R. s. CURRY, JR.

. as. :svM Mun.

Patented at. 18, 1941 ornca 'ronoua nxna'rmc manual-on G moscoras Robert 8 Curry, Jr., Baldwin, and Orland E. Esval," Huntington, N. Y., asslgnors to Sperry Gyroscope Company, Inc., Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 21, 1942', Serial No. 451,734

claims.

1 This invention relates to free gyro instruments of the type given direction or north seeking properties by being slaved to a controller such as a magnetic compass or flux valve compass. More specifically, the present invention concerns a novel electromagnetic couple by which a torque is exerted about the axis of the rotor bearing case of such a gyro instrument to control the direc-- tional indication obtained from the instrument.

The primary features of the invention reside inthe provided electrically efiective torque exerting means for controlling the gyro instrument and in the novel combination of the respective parts of the means in the gyro instrument.

Other features and structural details of the in,- vention will be apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a gyro instrument constructed in accordance with the present invention with the casing shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a detail side elevation of the form of torque exertingmeans illustrated in Fig. 1, the view being taken at right angles to the showing of the same in the previous figure.

Fig-3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a of the rotor bearing case M and leads 23, 24 and modified form of the torque erecting means of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a schematic circuit diagram illustrating-an electrical arrangement for controlling the torque exerting means of the invention when the stator or coil member thereof is formed of the two phase wound type, and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, in which the I coil member is three phase wound.

With reference to Fig. l, a gyro instrument constructed in accordance with the. present irivention is shown to include a casing In which provides upper and lower bearings respectively indicated at H and 12 in which the trunnions of a vertical ring l3 are journaled. The ring I3 is a single part of the conventional gyro instrument illustratively employed in the present instance to aid in the description of the invention, the instrument further including a rotor bearing case or frame H which is pivotally mounted in the usual fashion between the'upwardly extending arms of the ring 13. The bearings forpivotally supporting the gyro rotor bearing case M are respectively indicated at [5 and 16. The gyro rotor (not shown) is mounted to spin on a normally horizontal axis perpendicular to both the axis of the case M and the axis of the vertical ring l3 which last named element with the case serves as a universal supporting meansior the rotor. Any suitable means may be provided to spin the gyro rotor such as in an electric motor (not shown) which is supplied with three phase alternating currentenergy from a suitable source 40, Figs. 4 and 5, by way of leads l1, l8 and I9,

suitable slip rings on the vertical ring l3, leads 20', 2| and 22, suitable slip rings on the trunnion 25. A directional indication is obtained from the described type of gyro instrument by a compass card 26 which is rotatably mounted within the casing l0 and controlled from the meshing bevel gears 21 and 28 which last gears move with the vertical ring l3. A suitable lubber line (not shown) may be provided on the surface of the window 29 of the instrument for comparison'with' the indicating face of the compass cardZB by the observer in determining the indication given by the instrument. The described gyro instrument is consequently provided with vertical and horizontal axes of free support by the ring l3 and case r I 4, respectively.

,The conventional free gyro instrument described is converted to a direction indicating gyro by slaving the same to a suitable instrument having direction indicating properties such as a magnetic compass or flux valve compass whose contrial over the same is exerted by the torque exerting means forming the subject matter of the present invention. In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the electrically efiective torque exerting means for'the gyro instrument is of arelatively fixed stator member designated, generally at 30 and what may be termed a rotor comprising a displaceable inductor element or vane 3|.

The stator or coil member 30 is semi ringshaped and in the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the same is fixedly mounted to the vertical ring by means of a bracket piece 32, the connection being made at the central part of the ring-shaped stator. The curved stator 30 includes a plurality of. spaced pole pieces 33 arranged in concentric relation to the axis of the rotor bearing case as definedby trunnion 34 in Fig. 2. Further, the stator may be constructed in a U-shape so that the inductor element or Ian-shaped vane 3| moves between oppositely disposed end faces of the poles 33. The coil member 30 is polyphase wound so that when energized a moving magnetic field is produced which continuously travels either clockwise or counterclockwise, as viewed in Fig. 2, linking the inductor 3| and producing a force on the inductor in a corresponding direction. In this instance, the inductor element 3| is a conducting vane which extends from an insulating arm in a radial direction from the axis of the rotor bearing case camera cuts of the torque motor along this axis or about the other or the axes of support for the frame balance each other. Consequently, the motor is efirective to exert atorque about only one of the axes of universal support provided the frame.

In the modification of the invention shown in Fig. 3, the coil or stator member to is fixedly inounted to the ring it at its respective end portions by means of connection pieces 36. The inn'ductor element, in this instance, is mounted on' an arm 37? which extends from the side of the rotor bearing case it and is formed by a plurality of end connected spaced rods 38 which are individually positioned in a substantially radial direction with respect to the axis to of the rotor bearing case. The conducting bars may be embedded in contiguously arranged laminating plates as indicated at 38. An adjustable counterweight 391s disposed opposite to the inductor element in this instance to counterbalance the weight of the inductor.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. a, the coil member is shown as wound in two phase fashion and is energized from a suitable source of alternating current electrical energy as indicated at iii by way of leads it, 62 and 3 through the slip rlngs The controller forthe gyro instrument is schematically represented as a flux vmve compass cc and the system in which the same is employed is generally of the character disclosed in Patent No. 2,393,974, dated February 5, 1946, and issued in the name of one of the inventors of the present subject matter.

in the adaptation of this system with the disclosed means for exerting a torque about the axis of the rotor bearing case of the gyro instrument, the output of phase sensitive amplifier to is effective to operate a conventional polarized relay i i and selectively position the contact closing armature arm it thereof. As shown in Fig. 4;, 4 one of the windings of the two phase wound type coil member till is continuously energized byway of leads M and 62 and the other winding is selectively' energized through the relay ti by way of either leads ii and (it or leads 82 and 1-3. Such a circuit is closed by the arm 5.8 and is efiective by way of lead it.

It will be understood that the torque exerting means is efiective to cause movement of the inductor element 35 about the axis 3 3-, Fig. 2, and position the vertical ring it so that the indication obtained from the gyro instrument corresponds to the azimuthal position in the earths magnetic field of the controller or flux valve compass 15 employed in the present instance.

In Fig. 5, a similar controlling system for the gyro instrument is shown in which the coil member 36B is wound in three phase fashion and the relay l? employed in this instance includes a double contact type of armature arm which is operative to reverse two of the windings of the coil member with respect to the energy supplying leads M and t2 upon reception of a signal from the phase sensitive amplifier at by the relay 3?. This selectively controls the direction of movement of the magnetic field "prpduced by the coil member to and consequently determines the direction that the inductor element 3! and the rotor bearing case are moved about their common axis. Such control is effected by way of relay armature including leads 50 and t.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof,

it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is: l 1. In agyroscopic instrument with a pivotally mounted ring movable about a first am's and a rotor bearing frame pivotally mounted on the ring movable about a second axis normal to the first axis; a motor for exerting a torque about one of the axes whose force components about the other of the axes balance each other including a pols/phase wound stator and an inductor rotor, said stator and rotor being mounted one on the ring and one to move with the rotor bearing frame with movement thereof about the second axis, the rotor extending radially oi the second axis and the stator comprising pole pieces extending substantially parallel to the second axis in mutually racing relationwn opposite sides of said rotor. i y

2. In a gyroscopic instrument with a pivotally mounted ring movable about a vertical axis and 'a rotor bearing frame pivotally mounted on the 25 ring movable about a horizontal axis; a motor for exerting a torque about the horizontal axis whose force components about the vertical axis balance each other including a polyphase wound stator and an inductor rotor, said rotor being mounted on said rotor bearing frame in radially extending relation to the horizontal axis thereof, and said stator being mounted on the ring and comprising pole pieces extending substantially parallel to the horizontal axis oi. the frame in mutually facing relation on opposite sides of said rotor. my

3. An instrument as claimed in claim 2, in which the rotor comprises a thin vane-like inductor extending between the pole pieces of the stator.

4. An instrument as claimed in claim 2, in which the stator is of arcuate generally semicylindrical form.

5. In a gyroscopic instrument with a ring hav 4 ing a vertical axis and a rotor bearing frame mounwd on'the ring to pivot about a horizontal axis; a torque motor efiective about the horizontal axis whose force components about the vertical aids of the frame balance each other ineluding a polyphase wound stator and an inductor rotor, said stator comprising spaced pole pieces facing each other to define a. slot therebetween and being mounted on the ring with said pole pieces substantially equally spaced on opposite 55 sides of the vertical axis, and said rotor being mounted on the rotor bearing frame and extendlng within said slot.

V ROBmflI S. QUERY, JR.

ORLAND E. ESVAL.

(CHIS CE'EFJIE The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES rn'rrzu'rs Number Name :Date

1,136,566 Usener Apr. 20, 1915 2,270,876 Esval et a1 Jan. 27, 1942 2,293,039 Esval Aug. 18, 1942 7Q 1,897,184 Zopp .Feb. lfi, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 102,197 Swedish May 29, 1941 76 

